Tight-lock car coupler



July 1940. VAN DORN 2,209,365

TIGHT-LOCK CAR COUPLER Original F iled June 9, 1938 7 SheetsSheet 1 %IIHHI Ill mum

July 1940- H. E; VAN DORN 2.209365 TIGHT-LOCK CAR COUPLER I Original Filed June 9, 1938 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z 44/ kw?- TIGHT-L0 CK CAR (JOUPIJER Original Filed June 9, 1938 7 Sheets-Sheet s July 1940- H. E. VAN DORN 2.209365 TIGHT-LOCK CAR COUPLER Origihal Filed June 9, 1938 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 July 30, 1940.

H. E, VAN DORN TIGHT-LOCK CAR COUPLER 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed June 9, 1938 July 30, 1940.. A DQRN 2,209,365

TIGHT-LOCK CAR COUPLER Original Filed June 9 1938 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 i atented July 30, 194

p OFFICE TIGHT-LOCK GAR COUPLER Herbert E. Van Dorn, Chicago, Ill., assignor to The Dornvan Corporation, a corporation of Illinois Application June .9, 1938, Serial No. 212,661

Renewed October 4, 1939 12 Claims. (01. 213-77) 1 I Aicommon type of coupler for connecting tog'ether railway cars .is .that in which two rigid heads interlock with each other and are secured inisuch interlockedrelation by means of movable :locking dogs. In order .to obtain rigidity in the connection, there shouldibe no looseness in the locking means but, on the other hand, there must beprovisionxfo'r constantly exerting a holding force .on the docking dogs. Furthermore, as wear occurs during .use, the tightness of the connecitionmust be automatically maintained. In order :to effect an uncoupling, it is necessary first to relieve the .pressurebetween the locking dogs and :thehparts .of the opposing couplers which they Z engage. One of the difficulties heretofore encountered has been to obtain a considerable range of .automaticadjustment in the locking blocks to compensate for wear. In some of the well known forms of tight-lock coupler, any automatic ad- 20 justment'to compensate for wear is accomplished .atztheexpense of effectiveness in the holding ca- :pacity .of .the locking dogs, .due to the .fact that :with .the adjustment of .the dogs their normal flocking positions, whilethe couplers are new, conditions arebrought-aboutthat haveagreater and greater tendency to cause the, locking .dogs to release-in service.

.-5Ihe object of the present invention is to pro- ;duce .a simple and novel locking means for a tightlocklcoupler which-shall be efficient and .efzfective inoperationgbe easily unlocked when unslocking .is desired and bev prevented from acciadentally unlocking not only when the couplers :are;.'new but after they have become worn, and. 35 .which shall satisfactorily compensatefor a much greater amount ofwear than is possible in former types of locking means.

,The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will hereinafter be 40 ,pointed out with ,particularity'in the claims; but, fora run understanding of my'invention and of 'itso'bjects and advantages, reference may be had "to the "following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,

-45 wherein: I

Figure 1 is'a side view-of a coupler head embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 .is a side :v'iew,-showin'g a fragment of the opposite side .lflf :the coupler from that appearing in Fig. 1; s .3 is ahorizontalsection through a complete coupler head and a fragment of. a companion -head, coupled together; Fig. '4 is a view similar -.to :Fig. 3, showing the two coupler heads still interlocked, but ythesingle locking. dog shown in gfifiqtbis figure being in its release position, so that and slide diagonallytoward the longitudinalcenthe coupler heads may pull apart; Fig. 5 is a view similar to Figs. 3 and 4, showing a single coupler head in its normal, uncoupled condition, ready for automatic coupling with a.companion coupler; Fig. 6 ,is a view on a somewhat larger 5 scale than Fig. 5, showing in section ona different plane from that of Fig. 5, the locking dog and the immediate operating means therefor, the section being on line 6-;6 .of Fig. 7; Fig. 7

.is a section on line ll of Fig. 6; Fig. ,8 is a section, on a larger scale,on line .8.3;of Fig. 5, only a fragment of the coupler being shown; Fig. T9 is a section on line 9-43 .ofFig. 8, showinga still smaller fragment; Fig. 10 is a rear elevation-of the locking dog; and Figs. 11 and 12 are dia- 15 grammatic views showing, respectively, the looking position in the .case of a .new coupler and the locking position after acoupler has become greatly worn.

In the drawings .l .represents a hollow cast steel 29 coupler head of standard contours topermit rigid interlocking of two heads. The head is provided tudinal center, with a hook-like nose .2 having a flat laterally inclined front face 3 adapted to engage with a corresponding inclined -,reentran,t face 4 in a companion coupler; thus, when two couplers come together, permitting the nose of each to enter the front end of the other head 0 ter along the inclined face 4 of that .headuntil the two noses .are interlocked with each other, as indicated in Figs. 3and 4. Within thecol pler head, directly behind the face It and in registra- :tiOl'l with a suitable opening or window .5 in that face, .is a locking dog 6 in'the .form of a solid sturdy steel block. It vwillbe seen that the facet is parallel with the longitudinal axis of the coupler. As .will hereinafter be explained, the looking dog of one coupler is adapted toswingout through the window 5 in thatcoupler and wedge itself against the face Son thenoseof ajcompanion-coupler, as shown in Fig. 3.

The locking dog is mounted atone end upon .a vertical hinge pin 9 which in turn extends through and is journalled in two eccentric bearingblocks ill and II ,rotatably supported in the top andbottom walls of the coupler head. As is best seen in Fig. 7, the locking dog liesbetween and engages with both of the eccentrics. Each eccentric has radially projecting arms on the endsthereofmext to-the locking dog, as'indicated at l3 and [4. These arms are of sufiicient thickness to engage with each other so that when a vertical pin i5 is inserted through the same, the two eccentrics are not only connected together but joined into a comparatively rigid unit. Each of the arms i3 and M has its outer end slotted so that the companion arm projecting from the two eccentrics contains an upper slot [6 and a lower slot ll. These slots provide room for the reception of members surrounding the pin 15 and serving to oscillate the eccentrics. What may be termed the vertical Web of the companion arm, including two vertical barlike elements l8, extends into a notch i9, wider than this web-like portion, forming an inwardly and rearwardly projecting flange 213 on the hinge end of the locking dog. This arrangement permits a limited relative oscillatory movement between the locking dog and the eccentrics. As in some of my prior patents, this lost motion is utilized to release the pressure on the locking dog in uncoupling and to maintain a constant tightening pressure on the locking dog while a coupled condition exists.

Associated with the locking dog is a strong spring which tends constantly to swing the dog outwardly into and past its locking position. This spring, indicated at 22, surrounds a long tubular stem 23 extending diagonally across the interior of the coupler behind a wall 22 arranged diagonally in the coupler head behind the locking dog. The front end of the spring bears against the wall 24 while the rear end is engaged with an annular flange 25 on the member 23. The forward end of the stem 23 passes through an opening in the wall 24 and is connected by a hinge pin 26 to a link 21 which extends through the window [6 in the companion arm for the eccentrics and is journalled on the pin i5, as best shown in Figs. 6 and '7. A second link 28 extends at one end into the window ll where it is journalled on the pin l5. The link 28 contains a long slot 29 extending inwardly from a point near the outer end. The outer end of the link 28 extends through a bifurcated portion of a lever 30 and is connected thereto by a pin 3] and extending through the slot 29. The forward end of the lever is hinged to a part of the coupler head by a vertical pin 33. Surrounding the pin 33 and cooperating with the lever and a stationary part of the coupler head is a torsion spring 34 that tends constantly to hold the lever close to the side of the coupler head; the slot 29 permitting this, regardless of the position of the locking dog.

The inner or rear end of the tubular stem 23 is guided by a post 35 detachably secured at one end to a side wall of the coupler and long enough to insure that its forward end will not become disengaged from the stem when the latter has been moved forward as far as it will go, namely into the position illustrated in Fig. 4.

When the coupler is applied to a car having power control equipped to provide power means for unlocking the coupler as, for example, a pneumatic control system, the coupler head may be provided with a suitable power driven actuator for moving the locking dog into its release position. In the arrangement illustrated, there is a power actuator in the form of an air cylinder 36 containing a piston provided with a plunger 31 projecting out through the front end of the cylinder. The cylinder is fastened to the side of the coupler with its axis horizontal and arranged at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the coupler, the forward end being farther away from such axis than is the rear end. The arrangement is further such that the plunger 31 lies above the lever 30 so as not to interfere with the latter. On the upper member I3 of the composite arm radiating from the eccentrics is a lateral extension 38 having at its free outer end a depending flange 39 lying directly in front of the plunger or piston rod 31.

It will thus be seen thatthe eccentrics may be turned in the clockwise direction, as viewed in Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6, either by means of the lever 30 or by means of the power actuator. Upon release of the lever or the shutting off of pressure to the cylinder of the power actuator, the spring 22 swings the eccentrics in the counter-clockwise direction as far as conditions permit, the extent of such movement depending upon whether or not the coupler is engaged with a companion coupler.

As heretofore explained, the eccentrics may turn through a small angle relatively to the looking dog by reason of the fact that the notch I9 in the part 20 on the rear side of the dog is wider than the bar l8 on the companion arm-of the eccentrics. Normally, the bar l8 engages with that portion of the member 20 that lies on the side of the notch toward the longitudinal center of the coupler; this being .the case when the coupler is free from any other coupler, as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, and when the coupler is fully coupled to a companion coupler, as illus-.- trated in Fig. 3. It will be seen that at these times the thicker parts of the eccentrics lie in front of the hinge pin 9 for the locking dog. Therefore, when the eccentrics are turned, either by the hand lever or by the power actuator, re-

sulting in the swinging of the bar l8 to the opposite side of the notch IS, an increasingly thicker portion of the eccentrics appearson the side of the pin 9 facing the longitudinal axis of the coupler, and this pin is therefore moved bodily away from this axis, carrying the locking dog with it. In other words, the first movement of the eccentrics in the clockwise direction as-viewed in Figs. 3 to 6 of the drawings is to exert a force on the locking dog, in the direction of its length, tending to pull it bodily away from the longitudinal axis of the coupler, thereby releasing the pressure between the dog and the nose of the opposing coupler, when this movement of the eccentrics occurs while twp couplers are in coupled relation to each other; thereby leaving the dog free to turn in unison with the eccentrics into its release or unlocking position, during the further turning of the eccentrics in the clockwise direction. After a coupling has been made, bringing the parts in the position shown in Fig. 3, the spring 22 is exerting a turning effort, in the counterclockwise direction, on the eccentrics and also on the locking dog. This insures that the locking dog is pressed lengthwise into close contact with the face 8 on the nose of the opposing coupler and that this condition will be maintained even after wear takes place. Further explanation of the manner in which the locking dog performs its holding functions and automatically compensates for wear will hereafter be made. In uncoupling, it is necessary that the looking dog be not only swung into release position, but that it be held there without requiring further attention on the part of the trainman until the cars have pulled part. Also, upon the pulling apart of cars, the locking dog must be made ready to provide for subsequent automatic coupling upon bringing two cars together. The

mechanism for making these operations possible will now be described.

Itwill be seen. that on the rear side of the locking dog, toward its free end, is a rearwardly projecting'lug 40. This lugis adapted to be engaged by the'no'se of a pawl 42 arranged horiz'ontally within the interior of the coupler head behind thelocking dog and extending from the locking'dogto the opposite side of the head. The pawl is mounted on a vertical pin '43 which, as best shown in Fig. 8, is in the form of a bolt extending through the lever and through the bottom wall of the coupler head. Surrounding the pin 43 and cooperating therewith and with adjacent portions of the body of the coupler liad is a torsion spring44'that tends constantly tofo;rce' the noise end of the pawl forward." The paiits'fare so proportioned that when the locking I Zdog' swung backinto its release or unlocking position 'and'the pawl is free, the nose of the pawl 'drops behind the lug 46, as shown in Fig. 4.

, It must not be possible, however, to secure the locking dog in its release position while the coupler remains disengaged from other couplers because, in that case, automatic coupling could not be effected. I have therefore provided means for holding'the pawl 42 in an idle or inoperative position except at times when the coupler is engagedwith a similar coupler. It will be seen that the tail end of the pawl has a long wide opening or window 45 through the same. Mounted in front of the tail end of the pawl is a vertical pin 46 on which is a rocker device comprisinga rearwardly extending curved arm 41 that extends through the window 45, and a forward extending arm 48. The arm 48 projects at its front end into a slot in a head 4!! on the inner end of a pin 50 that extends through and is slidable in a portion 52 of the front wall of the coupler that extends outwardly from and at right angles to the face 4 of the coupler. Projecting rearwardly from the head 49, in axial alignment with the pin 50, is a stem 53 surrounded by a compression spring 54. One end of the spring 54 bears against the head 49 and the other end is seated in a socket 55 formed on the inner side of a bar-like casting 56 arranged on the outside of the coupler head .and fastened thereto by suitable bolts 51, as best shown in Fig. 2; the wall of the coupler to which the member 56 is secured has a large opening 58, which is spanned by the member 56 and permits the withdrawal of the pin 50 with its head and stem, after the member 56 is removed. 7

The spring 54 tends constantly to hold the head 49 against. the wall 52, as shown in Fig. 5.

Therocker device, comprising the arms 41 and 48*is, of course, compelled to oscillate as its actuator, comprising the pin 50 with its head and stem reciprocates. The parts are so proportioned that when the pin 50 is pushed back by the nose of a companion coupler, as in Figs. 3 and 4, the rocker arm 41 is swung about to a point where it does not interfere with the movement of the pawl 42 into its latching position, which is that illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. It will be "seen, as shown in Fig. 4, that the locking dog must be swung back farther than thenose of the companion coupler will push it, in order to permit the pawl to engage with the lug 40; the front face of the locking dog lying approximately parallel with the face 4 of the coupler and at a substantial distance inwardly from the latter;

whereas the face 3 on the nose of the companion coupler is in sliding contact with the face 4 and no part "of the nose of the companion coupler can, therefore, extend rearwardly'beyond the face '4; Therefore, although'the" coming together of two couplers frees their pawls so that they may assume their latching positions, the two'locking dogs will not be pushed back'far'enough'to permit the pawls to; drop into latching engagement with the lugs 40. Therefore, each main spring 22 willthrow its locking dog" forward just as soon as the noses of the couplershave moved laterally ing engagement with the lug-ill. This condition will be maintained until the companion coupler Withdraws its nose, the pin 56 following theretreating nose and, throughfthe-rocker device acting on the pawl, towithdraw it from engagement with the lug on the dog after the nose has been shifted laterally far enough to cause Hie dog to be stopped by the face 3 of the retreating coupler, so that it can swing automatically into its idle position of Fig. 5 upon the complete withdrawal of the companion coupler.

t will thus be seen that automatic coupling may be effected without danger. of having a looking dog locked in its release position at the time of making the coupling; this being so because the locking dog cannot be left in its release posi tion except while a companion coupler is in interlocked relation with the coupler in which the said. dog is mounted. On the other. hand, the locking dog may be swung into its release position and be positively latched in. that position while a coupling relation exists, and the dog will be automatically released during the separation of the couplers. I T

One of the difficulties experienced with tightlock couplers having swinging lockingdogs of the general type illustrated, is to prevent accidental unlocking due to the presence of a component of the thrust of the nose of a companion coupler against the dog that holds it'in place, which component acts in a direction to swing the dog back out of its locking position. This undesirable component of the force acting on the locking dog results from the need of a cam face on the locking dog to produce a constant pressure on the nose of the companion coupler; the cam faces. being the result of forming the ends of the locking dogs as fragments of surfaces of cylinders having their y axes displaced laterally from the pivotal axes of the dogs. When a sufficient cam effect is created to provide not only for a tight lock'when thecouplers are new, but also to compensate for wear, the distance between the two axes, just mentioned, is" considerable and results in frequent accidental unlocking of couplers.

In accordance with one feature of my invention, I provide an adequate cam effect at all times, not only when the couplers are new, but after they have become greatly worn, without. at. any time permitting the creation of forcesiof a kind that can cause the locking dogs to'be driven into unlocking positions while one coupler is exerting a pull upon another coupler with which it 'is'interlocked. The manner in which Lacc'omplish this is best illustrated in Figs. 1 and 12. In these figures, the line A represents a vertical plane at right angles to the longitudinal axis of 10] line C that also contains the axis X and lies at a small angle to the plane B, whereby the center of the pin 9, with the locking dog in the position shown in Fig. 11, while the parts are new, lies farther away from the longitudinal axis of the coupler than does the axis of the eccentric.

The Working face 12 of the locking dog is a part of the surface of the cylinder whose axis Z lies in the plane C in such a position that the axis Y is located about half way between the axes X and Z. When the parts are new, the locking dog engages the face 8 of an opposing coupler at the end of a radius D extending from the axis Z at right angles to the plane of the face 8. Thus the line of pressure between the locking dog and the nose of the opposing coupler is offset only a short distance from the axis of the hinge pin 9, and the component of the thrust of the nose against the dog that would tend to swing the dog into an unlocking position is so slight as to be negligible.

The area between the lines E and F near the outer end of the locking dog represents the amount of radial shifting of the dog that can be produced by the turning of the eccentrics, whereas the area between the line F and the end face 12 of the dog indicates the amount of take up due to the displacement of the axis Z from the axis Y of the pin. As wear takes place, the eccentrics turn through a progressively larger angle to force the locking dog against the nose of the opposing coupler. At the same time, the point of contact between the dog and the nose of the coupler follows the progressively higher points on the cam face of the dog. Fig. 12 illustrates the condition which exists after extreme wear has occurred. In other words-,the dog has swung so far to the left that the face 8 will stillmake contact with the cam face l2 at the end of the radius D which is at right angles to the face 8, provided that the face 8 has receded a distance substantially equal to the greatest width between the line E and the line l2 in Fig, 11. All three axes, X, Y and Z, are now in the plane represented by the line B, namely a plane parallel with the longitudinal axis of the coupler. But, because the axis of the hinge pin lies between the other two axes, there is no substantial variation in the direction of the pressure on the locking pin and, consequently, there is no danger that the pressure on the locking dog will force it into a release position even after there has occurred such wear as it will take a score of years to produce.

While I have illustrated and described with particularity only a single preferred form of my invention, I do not desire to be limited to the exact structural details thus illustrated and described; but intend to cover all forms and arrangements which come within the definitions of my invention constituting the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, the head of a car coupler of the tight-lock type, bearing members mounted inone side of the head for rotation about a vertical axis, a locking dog, and a vertical hinge pin for the dog journalled in said bearing members with its axis eccentric to the aforesaid axis,

the end face of the lockingdog at the free end of the dog being in the form of asection of a of a'cylinder whose axisis vertical, the said axes being spaced apart from each other.

3. In combination, the head of a'car coupler of the tight-' -lock type,bearing members mounted in one side of the head for rotation about a vertical axis, a locking dog, a hinge pin for the dog journalled in said bearing members with its axis vertical, and the end face of the dog at the free end of the latter being in the form of a section of a cylinder whose axis is, vertical, the axis of the hinge pin being positioned between and spaced apart from the other two axes.

' 4. In combination, the head of a car coupler of the tight-lock type, bearing members mounted in one side of the head for rotation about a vertical axis, a locking dog, a hinge pin for the dog journalled in said bearing members with its axis vertical, and the end face of the dog at the free end'of the latter being in the form of a section of a cylinder whoseaxis is vertical, the'axis of the hinge pin being positioned between and spaced apart from the other two axes longitudinally of the coupler.

5. In combination, the head of a car coupler of the tight-lock type, bearing members mounted in one side of the head for rotation about a vertical axis, a locking dog,a hinge pin for the dog journalled in said bearing members with its axis vertical, and the end face of the dog at the free end of the latter being in the form of asection of a cylinder whose axis is vertical, the axis of the hinge pin lying rearwardly from the axis of the bearing members and the axis of said cylindrical surface lying rearwardly from the axis of the hinge pin.

6. In combination, the head of a car coupler of the tight-lock type, bearing members mounted in one side of the head for rotation about a vertical axis, a locking dog, a hinge pin for the dog journalled in said bearing members with its axis vertical, and the end face of the dog at the free end of the latter being in the form of a section of a cylinder whose axis is vertical, the axis of the hinge pin lying nearer the longitudinal axis of the coupler than the axis of said end face of the dog and closer to said axis of the bearing member when the dog in an unworn coupler is in looking position, and the axis of the hinge pin being in rear of the axis of the bearing members and in front of the other axis.

'7. In combination, ahollow coupler head, a locking dog mounted in the head for movements between a locking position and a release position, means tending constantly to hold the dog in its locking position, a pawl for latching the dog in its release position, and means to render the pawl inoperative except when the coupler is in coupled relation to a companion coupler.

8. In combination, a hollow car coupler head, a horizontally-swinging locking dog mounted in the front end and atone side of the head for movements between a locking position and a release position, a spring tending constantly to hold the dog in its locking position, a pawl to hold the dog in its release position, and means adapted to in its locking position, a spring-pressed pawl tending constantly to move into position to latch the dog in its release position, a device to holdsaid pawl in an inoperative position, and means adapted to be engaged by a companion coupler to move said device into. a position that leaves the pawl free while a coupled relation is maintained between two couplers.

10. In combination, a hollow coupler head, a locking dog mounted in the head for movements between a locking position and a release position, means tending constantly to hold said dog in its locking position, a spring-pressed pawl tending constantly to move into position to latch the dog in its release position, a spring pressed device tending constantly to maintain the pawl in an inoperative position, and an element on said device projecting into the path of an oncoming coupler in the act of coupling to cause said device to be shifted by the oncoming coupler into a position to leave the pawl free.

11. In combination, a hollow coupler head, a

locking dog mounted in the head for movements between a locking position and a release position, means tending constantly to hold said dog in its locking position, a spring-pressed pawl tending constantly to move into position to latch the dog in its release position, a movable member adapted to engage said pawl, a spring strong enough to overcome the spring for the pawl acting on and tending constantly to move said movable member in a direction to shift the pawl into its inoperative position, and means on said movablemember adapted to be engaged by a companion coupler to move said movable member into a position that leaves the pawl free while a coupled relation is maintained between two couplers.

12. In combination, the head of a car coupler of the tight-lock type, bearing members mounted in one side of the head for rotation about a vertical axis, a locking dog, a vertical hinge pin for the dog journalled in said bearing members with its axis eccentric to the aforesaid axis, said looking dog having a wide notch in the side, an arm fixed to said bearing members and narrower than said notch extending into the latter, a spring connected to said arm to turn said bearing members and said dog in one direction, and an actuator connected to said arm to turn the bearing members and the dog in the opposite direction. HERBERT E. VAN DORN. 

